Sibelius, Jean - Symphony No. 2 in D Major, Op. 43; King Christian II (Suite), Op. 27 - Rouvali, Santtu-Matias

Following the huge success of the first part (Gramophone Editor's Choice, Preis der Deutschen Schallplattenkritik, Diapason d'Or, Choc de Classica, FFFF Télérama), the project to record all of Sibelius' symphonies continues with the Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra and Santtu-Matias Rouvalin. Rouvalin's conducting career is reaching its peak: he has just been appointed chief conductor of the London Philharmonia Orchestra. At the turn of the 20th century, as Finland struggled to free itself from Russian rule, Sibelius and his wife faced several domestic tragedies, including the death of their second daughter, Kirsti, from typhoid fever. The Second Symphony, written in a brilliant D major, seems to be marked by events in the composer's personal life, but many of his contemporaries still saw it as a political manifesto! In 1898, Sibelius composed the incidental music for Adolf Pauli's play King Christian II, which tells the story of the downfall of the Scandinavian (Danish, Swedish, and Norwegian) king in the 16th century. The series derived from it was successfully performed in several European cities.